Catnapped !
by FlowerofAdversity
Summary: Part III of IV of the "Beauty" Saga. Recently, Liat had just been taken hostage by the merciless pirate Commander Cruel and his group of brutes. She is under the control of Cruel’s slave crown, but will she be under his power for long ?


Catnapped !  
(...And Liat doesn't enjoy it much)  
  
The Beauty of the Cosmos and the Secrets Therein  
  
Part III of IV  
  
Note: Recently, Liat had just been taken hostage by the merciless pirate Commander Cruel and his group of brutes. She is under the control of Cruel's slave crown, but will she be under his power for long ?  
  
"To catch a tiger, one must enter its den."—Marron Glace, 'The Forbidden Fire', Sorcerer Hunters  
  
"You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted, you encourage them and you listen to their cry."—Psalm 10:17  
  
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."— Psalms 138:7  
  
Prologue  
  
Palm Journal: Amaro Tolkeen  
  
Recently, the Commander has thrown a new prisoner on board. I don't remember seeing her before, but I have heard by word of mouth that she and the Commander have quite a history. I feel sorry for the poor young woman. She has been robbed of all of her free will, placed under the tyrannical grip of the Commander's slave crown. I despise that wretched device, and I do know how to dismantle it, and he doesn't realize it. I hope he places her into my cell. I want to help her escape from this madman. Then, I can return to my home planet of Yrdrssyl. I can almost see it from out of this cramped brig...it's a gorgeous emerald gem in the sky...and I ache to be back home. But I mustn't worry too much. As my mother always told me, "Amaro, complaining will never help you arrive at your chosen destination. It will hinder you, and keep you grounded." I never forgot the wise words of my mother, and I know that she and father are thinking of me tonight. But I wonder what the Commander has up his sleeve, toting around the poor Numan lady like some fancy piece of jewelry. It sickens me to see that young woman deprived of all she held dear...And I make a vow right here and now to set her free. I can only hope that my plans for escape from this horrid place will be successful.  
Fighting for freedom,  
Amaro Tolkeen  
  
Chapter 1—The Commander's Plot  
  
Cruel stood haughtily at the helm, Liat was following by his side like a robot. He smiled evilly; his dark eyes reflected the pain and rejection deep within his blackened heart. There was no love inside of this ruthless man. He only wanted one thing out of life, and that was the location of the "relic of power" he had read so much of during his youth as a pirate in the making.  
  
Liat had revealed the location, unwillingly, to be in an unknown sector, called Sector X. Sector X was thought to be "dead space". Could a spot of space actually be dead ? What of the "expansive theory" of space ? Was that simply a theory, a musing, perhaps even an estimate or hunch ? Whatever the case was, it didn't matter. The "relic" as it was called was supposedly in the shape of a crown of laurel wreath. It was golden, with a transparent orb as its "Seeing Eye". This "Seeing Eye" could give its wearer unbelievable psychic power, allowing him or her to do whatever he pleased, toying with the laws of physics. It also had the power of mind control. In the wrong hands, the relic could lead to dictatorship. Sector X was a long, long way to fly, but for the Commander, it would be worth the trouble. The "relic" would be located on a small planet called "Unknown" for the taking. No one really knows how the relic was formed or what its intentional use was, but only one factor remains...  
  
If the relic is in fact taken by Cruel, there will be no tomorrow for the Tine Quadrant, or perhaps even...the Universe itself.  
  
Chapter 2—Putting Dominique's Plan into Action  
  
Dominique had divulged a method of finding Liat and rescuing her from the Commander's clutches. All of her plans were very rationally, and thoughtfully presented, reminding the Captain that Dominique was still a student at heart. The Captain was quite impressed with what Dominique had done. Now all they had to do was implement and execute the plan. They were ready, and it was time for battle with the enemy.  
  
Meanwhile aboard the Scoundrel...  
  
A young woman named Cassandra objected to the treatment of Liat. Embittered, Cruel struck at her, and sneered. "Poplar leaves are like women's tongues—never still.", he bellowed. Defeated, Cassandra rubbed her reddened cheek and said nothing else. She went back to her business at her station in the kitchen, preparing the next meal for the day. Amaro, even more perturbed and disgusted, banged his fist upon the reinforced electromagnetic particles of the force field, holding him captive. He screamed from behind the sound-proof field, "You monster ! What right do you have striking a woman ? It is very inconsiderate to mar a young woman's face, let alone even not allowing her say in what she believes ! I hope you pay for your crimes, Cruel." The Commander simply laughed, and sinisterly at that. "What's that Tolkeen, my friend ? I'm afraid I can't hear you. No matter. Soon, I'll be in control of my pitiful home realm; Yrdrssyl and soon perhaps the entire Universe will be my next target for total control. I will reign supreme, like I was meant to !", Cruel exclaimed, his maniacal laughter echoing throughout the Scoundrel like the tolling of a death knell. This man was truly insane. He had to be stopped, and if anyone could stop him, it would be the Captain and crew of the Enigma Gyro.  
  
Chapter 3—Planet Unknown is in Sight...  
  
After a while of waiting, Planet Unknown could be seen from the helm. Cruel's mouth nearly watered in anticipation of grasping that sacred relic. So long he had waited to know the true meaning of power. It was so close he could almost taste it. But his plans were quickly deterred when his scanners picked up a familiar vessel. "The "thinking vessel" ? I thought the Captain was more intelligent to realize that she shouldn't be meddling with forces she can't comprehend. If that is what she wants then, so be it !", he called, hurtling his sword into a nearby wall. Cassandra's arm was struck by the sword's blade and she was bleeding from the cut. She growled at him, turned her back and walked away, tired of toadying to his desires. He didn't even notice her shimming up the escape hatch into an escape pod, knowing very well that she would be headed back to her home planet of Yrdrssyl. As the Dragons began to fire upon the Scoundrel, the force field in front of the brig was faltering. Cruel, disoriented had let Liat wander around like a confused infant. She didn't know whom to follow. Suddenly, the force field broke and Amaro was free. Instantly, he rushed toward Liat and began dismantling the slave crown.  
  
Chapter 4—Escape !  
  
Once the slave crown had been removed from Liat's head she rubbed her temples in agony. "What happened ?", she questioned, still very confused. "I'll tell you the entire story later, my friend. For now, let's get you back to your vessel.", Amaro said, leading her away from the Commander's stronghold. Amaro knew the escape route since the celestial powers revealed it to him in a vision. He always knew the star angels were guiding him to freedom, and he remembered to thank them when he returned Liat to the Gyro and began his journey home.  
  
Liat was no longer lost with unanswered questions when Amaro had emailed her explaining what had occurred. She told him she would rather not remember the Commander. But she had wondered what happened to him. He didn't know but he did remember seeing a bright flash of light from the helm of the Gyro...Supposedly, Raquel gave the order to fire the plasma cannons. The Scoundrel was decimated. Those who had been prisoners aboard the Scoundrel escaped once they had the chance to. The crewmembers never had a chance of survival though. Like the Commander, they went down with their vessel.  
  
Chapter 5—Back on Track  
  
An away team to planet Unknown had discovered the relic of unmatched power. It didn't take them long to unearth it, and they had returned in plenty of time to return to their original destination. As for the relic, however, it was safely returned to the Teflon museum, to be placed on public display. The Captain and crew weren't concerned about being rewarded for their good deeds. They were simply pleased with the fact that the relic was in its rightful place.  
Soon the Enigma Gyro made its decent into the Drysllian atmosphere. It was quite a lovely place. The architecture was a mixture of Greek and Roman styles, with some influence from Egypt and the far regions of Persia.  
  
Epilogue  
  
Electronic Journal: Liat Xiang  
  
After we had taken some silver home from Yrdrssyl, I wanted to thank Amaro personally for saving my life. I gave him a gentle peck upon the cheek, and then I realized I was falling in love with him. He admitted that he had become attracted to me and wondered if he could join our efforts. The Captain didn't mind another new crewmember. I am very pleased that Amaro can be one of us. I know that he is already a great asset to the crew, and I also feel that the two of us are a grand team. We have arrived home to rest for a while. Our next destination as I have planned will be a familiar Quadrant, known as the Klein Quadrant. We have been through it before, but never stopped to visit the planets there. There are many planets existent here, but one in particular has caught my attention. It is called the Planet Eleanor. Their planet is composed completely of rubies, much similar to Shangri-La with its hordes of gold. I'm very excited about arriving here and getting to know the Norians. I am simply exhausted after the receptions I have attended with the Captain and crew. We have received many rewards, but most of our profit goes to charity. The young of our planet benefit from what we do, and I know this will be an ongoing endeavor to make Teflon as well as lesser fortunate planets better. Interpol hasn't threatened us yet, but it is more than likely in the future. As long as we exist, they will always be a factor in our life but, if there were no evil in this world, then the balance of life would be tipped. The balance can be rocked at times, but one thing is for certain...I wouldn't want life to be any less exciting and profitable than it is now. I have love, family, wealth and happiness. I couldn't ask for more.  
  
Joyfully,  
Liat Xiang  
  
To be continued...  
  
In the final chapter of my "Beauty" saga, we discover exactly how close our crewmembers and Captain are when the Intergalactic police once again threaten their lives. Keep your eyes open for "Blood is thicker than Water". It's going to be a rough ride !  
  
By: Elizabeth Berndt August 12, 2001 


End file.
